Prix Virgina 2026

Awarded every other year, the Prix Virginia with the main prize of €10,000 is open to all women photographers, regardless of their nationality or age.

Overview

The Prix Virginia is an international photography prize awarded every two years and is exclusively dedicated to women photographers. The work submitted must consist of original photographic material that has never been exhibited or published in France before and must not be the result of commercial advertising or editorial commission. The award is intended to celebrate and elevate artistic achievement in photography by women, offering recognition, exposure, and a cash prize amounting to €10,000.

Practical Info

Photographers are required to submit a body of work that best represents their photographic vision; the competition is not designed to finance the completion of a project. Submissions must include 12 to 18 images with free theme, in black and white and/or in colour, a complete resume, and a brief letter of intent describing the creative and artistic dimension of the work submitted.

All applications are reviewed by the jury, and beyond the main prize, the jury selects up to 10 additional photographers. Award announcements, including the main prize-recipient and the other selected photographers, are done at a formal ceremony, and applicants are expected to receive further communications via the prize newsletter.

About Prix Virginia

The Prix Virginia is organized by the Association Sylvia S., in France. The women of Sylvia Schildge's family were her foundation: Virginia, her pianist grandmother, her great-aunt painter, and her sculptor mother fed her curiosity about art from her earliest childhood. Having elders like them opened a path for her as a photographer and visual artist. The prize is a way for me to demonstrate Sylvia Schildge's support for the recognition of women photographers. It is also a way of sharing the passions that were handed down to her.